Puppy Dog Training Tips

Important Puppy Dog Potty Training Tips

A lot of new puppy or dog owners dread the thought of having to go through the dog potty training stage.  New owners are often very confused by what course of action to take due to the many varied and often conflicting views on dog potty training.

Some breeds of dogs are easier to train than others and respond to different methods of training, which may mean you will have to make a few adjustments if you have a hard breed to train.  To make the puppy dog potty training experience smoother for you and your dog, just follow these simple tips which will help you make those adjustments easier.  Remember consistency is the key!

Tip 1:   It is important to adhere to a consistent daily feeding schedule.  It is very easy to predict your dog’s potty time when you feed it every day at exactly the same times.   You will find that this makes it much easier for you and your puppy to avoid accidents.    Whilst free feeding is popular amongst dog lovers it is not recommended during dog potty training, rather settle your puppy into a strict feeding routine as quickly as possible.

Tip 2:  Just as important is maintaining a consistent potty opportunity schedule.   It is your responsibility to take your puppy outside at frequent regular intervals and stick to the same times every day.  Apart from teaching your dog when to go potty it will also teach him where he must go.  This will settle your puppy into a routine and give him a sense of security, thus avoid anxiety, which also causes digestive problems in dogs.  Be sure to stay with your puppy until he has done his business.  It is no good just leaving the door open and expecting your puppy to go out to relieve himself until he learns that that is where he must go.

Tip 3:  Expect accidents to happen, but do not even let the thought of rubbing your dog’s nose in it enter your head.  This is a cruel, outdated and ineffective form of training.  The last thing you want to teach your dog is that doing his potty is bad behavior.  Blame yourself for not observing the puppy and taking him outside in time. Rather teach him the importance of relieving himself at the right place at the right time.

Tip 4:  Never ever fail to reward your dog for doing the right thing during dog potty training.  How you choose to reward him is your choice, may be just with kind words, treats or love and affection, but do it immediately so that he associates the reward with doing his potty.

Tip 5: As puppies love to play it can be used as a reward too.  So as your puppy   accomplishes one or both goals of your dog potty training session, spend a few minutes playing with your puppy.  If you are in an enclosed area you could throw a ball or have a game of tug of war or if on a leash you could bounce a ball for him to catch.  Your pet will associate his completed mission with happiness and will be more willing to oblige in the future.

Tip 6:  Look for the telltale signs.  If your puppy is walking around your room with its nose to the ground it is most likely just about to relieve itself, so quickly just pick it up and take it outside.   Also if the routine is interrupted and the puppy gets very excited then it is likely that you will need to take it outside earlier than expected. 

Tip 7:  Your puppy dog potty training will pay off in a short period of time.  From my own experience if you stick strictly to the routines and make every effort to prevent accidents happening, it will not be long before your puppy knows exactly what is expected of him and will be telling you when he needs to go out!

Loving a clean dog is so much easier and puppy dog potty training is an extremely important step to having a healthy, happy dog in a happy and loving home.